Redmond
Redmond is a city in Deschutes County. Incorporated on July 6, 1910, the city is on the eastern side of Oregon's Cascade Range, in the High Desert, and is the geographical heart of Central Oregon. From Redmond there is access to recreational opportunities, including mountain biking, fishing, hiking, camping, rock climbing, white-water rafting, skiing, and golf. Redmond is a full-service municipality and one of the fastest-growing industrial and residential communities in Oregon. Redmond had a population of 26,215 in 2010, and the population continues to grow at a rate of about 8% each year. History Oregon had been a state for 45 years by the time Redmond came into existence. It was named after Frank T. Redmond and platted by an irrigation company building a canal. Electrification and the Oregon Trunk Railway reached Redmond in 1911. The rail link opened markets for farmers and merchants. By 1930, the town had grown to 1,000 and by 1940 had nearly doubled. In the 1940s, Redmond was a U.S. Army Air base and commercial air service was established at Roberts Field after World War II. In the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and most of the 80s, the population remained relatively static, growing slowly around a small commercial/retail center and manufacturing industry. However, during the 1990s, the population began to grow along with most of Deschutes County. Between 2000 and 2006, Redmond's population grew 74.3%, making it among Oregon's fastest-growing cities each year. This growth continued through 2006, increasing the population to 23,500. Its growth is fueled by employment and a lower cost of living. Geography The city encompasses 15.5 square miles (40 km2) and is on a plateau, at an elevation of 3,077 feet (938 m). Redmond is 15 miles (24 km) north of Bend — the county seat of Deschutes County — on U.S. Highway 97, and 2 miles (3 km) south of Smith Rock. It is 144 miles (232 km) from Portland, 129 miles (208 km) from Salem — the capital of Oregon — and 126 miles (203 km) from Eugene. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.79 square miles (43.49 km2), all of it land. Because of its elevation, Redmond's climate is High Desert. The Horse Lava Tube System enters the city at the point of the Redmond Caves. The lava flow that created the system continues into the Redmond Canyon and beyond. Economy A major employer is Redmond Air Center, at the Redmond Airport. This is a United States Forest Service smoke-jumping, firefighting, and training installation. PCC-Schlosser is one growing manufacturing sector in Redmond, employing over 200 in the manufacture of titanium castings for the aerospace and medical markets. T-Mobile USA had a call center in Redmond which employed more than 700. T-Mobile made plans to close this facility in June 2013, but Oregon-based Consumer Cellular moved to sublease the call center and rehire some of T-Mobile’s past employees. The Consumer Cellular call center currently employs more than 200 people, with plans to grow the facility to 650 employees. The Redmond Spokesman newspaper is the city's oldest continuously operating business, printing its first issue July 14, 1910. Publishers Henry and Clara Palmer moved their press for the Laidlaw Chronicle to Redmond, competing with the existing Oregon Hub and Enterprise newspapers, now defunct. The Eagle Crest Resort, west of Redmond, is one of eight destination resorts as defined by Oregon's Department of Land Conservation and Development. Eagle Crest is one of Redmond's major employers, and one of Deschutes County's largest corporate tax payers.Williams, Steve, "The Expansion of Oregon’s Destination Resorts", WorkSource Oregon, www.qualityinfo.org, Oregon Employment Department, Salem, Oregon, 29 March 2007. Education Redmond School District encompasses and operates 11 schools: 7 elementary schools along with 2 middle schools, 2 high schools (Redmond High School and Ridgeview High School), and 1 private Christian school serving grades PreK-12th. Redmond's total enrollment on September 26, 2006 was 6,892. Redmond is also home of the Redmond Proficiency Academy, a 6-12 charter school serving students from Redmond and the greater Central Oregon area. Redmond School District elementary schools serve grades K-5, middle school grades 6-8 and high school 9-12. Climate Redmond's climate is typical of the High Desert, with cool nights and sunny days. Annual precipitation averages between and , with an average annual snowfall of . The winter season in Redmond provides typical daytime temperatures between and . Average nighttime temperatures range anywhere from to . According to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, the average annual minimum temperature in Redmond is to . A typical Central Oregon summer is marked with daily temperatures around to during the day, and around to during the night. Hard frosts happen on occasion during the summer months. Autumn usually brings warm, dry days and cooler nights. According to the Western Regional Climate Center of the Desert Research Institute, the mean of the monthly average maximum temperatures in July, the hottest month in Redmond, between 1928 and 2006 was . Redmond's growing season is short. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Resources Conservation Service, in half of the years between 1971 and 2000, the USDA weather station in Redmond recorded the last below-freezing temperatures after July 3 and the first below-freezing temperatures before August 31. Transportation Air Redmond is the operator of the region's only commercial airline service airport, Roberts Field. Carriers include Horizon Airlines and Skywest Airlines (flying as both United Express and Delta Connection). These carriers provide direct service to Portland, Seattle, Denver, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The U.S. Forest Service operates an air base and training center for firefighting, and Butler Aircraft, a fixed-base operator, flies DC-7 aircraft for firefighting efforts. Highways Redmond lies at the intersection of U.S. Route 126 and U.S. Route 97. The latter runs on an expressway alignment through the city known as the Redmond Parkway. Rail A BNSF mainline runs north-south through the city; there are numerous spurs off of the mainline which serve industrial rail customers. The closest Amtrak service is in the town of Chemult, approximately to the south; this station is served by the Coast Starlight route. Points of interest * Eagle Crest Resort * Smith Rock State Park * The Redmond Caves Natural history Some of Redmond's landmark desert flora include: * The Juniper tree, which dots the surrounding brush/desert. * The Sagebrush, a medium high bush which is abundant in undeveloped areas. Notable people * Sam Johnson, a longtime member of the Oregon House of Representatives, was elected mayor of Redmond in 1979 and served in that capacity until his death in 1984.Church, Foster (June 21, 1984). "Former legislative leader dies". The Oregonian, p. B1. References External links * *City of Redmond, Oregon *Redmond Chamber of Commerce *Oregon Blue Book entry for Redmond Category:Communities